Guided By History began two years ago as part of the centennial of the 1906 SF earthquake and fire. We spent a few months blogging about disaster preparedness, because that was the primary mission of the centennial.

Right now, Hurricane Gustav  is kind of finishing its run on New Orleans. The storm continues, though, prompting bad weather  in Louisiana. Residents of the Big Easy are expected to go home Thursday.

By all accounts, everyone took proper action in advance. Everyone is watching to see that everything goes well and that all those people who live on the Gulf Coast come first. After all, that's why we make the big plans we have to make to move thousands of people to safety — because we all have to make sure our neighbors are safe. We look out for them, they look out for us...that's how everyone is looked out for!

OK, it's simplistic, but you get the point.

Oh, and one more thing. Make sure you are prepared with the right kit   at home and at work. That's the most elemental, organic way to begin to recover if your life is turned upside down by disaster.

Posted by Charles at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, At Home, Environment, Events, Hurricanes, Misc, Natural Disasters, Perspective, Prepare, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Posted by Charles at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, At Home, Branding, Farmers, Get Involved, Holidays, Labor Day, Misc, Movies, Museums, Music, Participate, Railroads, Remember, Steamers, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Wagon, Women's History

A couple weeks ago, the Olaf Wieghorst  Western Heritage Day's Festival took place in El Cajon, California. It's always great to be able to get out and interact with the public in that type of environment. After 6 years, I'm still amazed at the reaction people have when they see the stagecoach, whether it's the memories it conjures, the curiosity it piques or the awe it inspires. Men and women, young and old — so many people are drawn to it.

And because I love to educate and tell stories, it was a great time.

After spending the weekend dressed in an 1870s costume, complete with waist coat and pocket watch, answering questions and telling stories about stagecoaches and Wells Fargo history in the hot El Cajon Valley sun, I decided to take a day off.

So, here I sit with my road atlas, a well-warn copy of The Butterfield Overland Mail  by Waterman L. Ormsby, Post-it Notes  in three colors, and of course, my laptop with internet at the ready. What could I possibly be doing?

Well, if all goes as planned, I will have the unique opportunity to travel the old Butterfield mail route  from St. Louis to San Francisco. What's the occasion you ask? As many of you may know, this year is the 150th anniversary of the first overland mail trip  via the Butterfield Route .

As part of our celebration of this anniversary — which will include new interactive exhibits in our museums! — I'm hoping to recreate the trip in the same amount of time as the historic journey .

Launching from St. Louis on September 16 and arriving in San Francisco on October 10 (to what I imagine will be a ticker tape parade!), I'll spend 26 days on the road. I plan to blog, video, photograph and interview interesting people and places I see along the way.

As you can imagine, this is no small undertaking: which brings me back to the atlas, book, post it notes, etc.

Right now, I'm in the process of working out the logistics, budget, research and all else that goes into planning a trip of this kind. I can only imagine what planning, anxiety and excitement must have gone into the pioneers' and 49ers' preparations. It's been a lot of work so far, but I think it will be incredibly rewarding in the end.

I can't wait to share this experience with you! So keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted....

Posted by Casey at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Agriculture, Animals, At Work, Barbecue, Baseball, Branding, Coffee, Disco, Dogs, Environment, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Hollywood, Misc, Movies, Museums, Music, Perspective, Remember, San Diego, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank, Westerns

We got good video at the Stagecoach Appearance at our Hayward, California store this past June 14th. We’ve shown you Part I here and Part II here.

And now, the leftover video. The bad video. You're welcome!

Posted by Charles at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, Branding, Events, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Participate, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, Stagecoach, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

A week and a half ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Wells Fargo's Stagecoach Appearance Program. The event was at the Hayward, California store.

I got lots of video — some of it was even useable for Guided By History! Here for you now is Part II...enjoy!

Posted by Charles at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, Branding, Events, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Music, Participate, Perspective, Remember, Ride sharing, Stagecoach, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Wagon

On June 14, 1958, Wells Fargo Bank launched a new era in public relations — the bank presented a stagecoach on parade at the opening of a new branch office in Hayward, California . A historic stagecoach from Wells Fargo had been seen before at events, but that appearance in 1958 was the first of a full-fledged program to get coaches out in public on a regular schedule.

In earlier years, Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express had put historic stagecoaches in parades and other events. After 1929, Wells Fargo Bank had a stagecoach on display at its San Francisco Headquarters, which rolled out at special events: the opening of the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge, and an appearance in the film "Union Pacific."  (That historic stagecoach is still on display in Wells Fargo's San Francisco History Museum.) It was always popular; but in those years, it wasn't properly dignified for a bank to advertise so evidently.

In the 1950s, that changed. Banks advertised like any other business wanting to attract customers. Wells Fargo publicity people liked the idea of sharing the Company's long heritage with interested crowds, and recognized its value as an effective marketing tool. The intention was to restore historic stagecoaches for use "by the bank at branch openings, at fairs and rodeos." The program was originally confined to Northern California communities where Wells Fargo had offices.

The program was a complete success, and Wells Fargo pressed forward with the idea. A second historic coach was put into service in 1961, then another in 1968. The first of ten coaches, entirely hand-built by Jay Lambert, appeared in 1970. "Hand-built "means exactly that — every square inch, from the ground up, wheels and iron and leather! That year, the Program had coaches in 69 appearances. Since then, there have been thousands of appearances, before hundreds of millions of people. Wells Fargo stagecoaches have appeared in a Presidential inaugural parade and at the Calgary Stampede , and an annual appearance at the Tournament of Roses  Parade. Last year, there were 760 appearances before an audience of 22 million people.

Just as it did in the Golden Age of stagecoaches, Wells Fargo works with the very best drivers in its Stagecoach Appearance Program. The Fellingham family has been in the Program since the very beginning, and there are currently 22 drivers, and 25 coaches, from 13 ranches across North America.

In a 1992 television commercial for Wells Fargo, four stagecoaches rode abreast into Sonora, California . Seven stagecoaches total conquered "Main Street" that day, and witnesses remember the sound and feel of 96 thundering hooves.

They got the shot in one take.

Posted by Charles at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Animals, Branding, Events, Films, First-hand Accounts, Hollywood, Misc, Movies, Museums, Participate, Perspective, Railroads, Remember, Ride sharing, San Francisco, Stagecoach, Transportation, Travel, Wells Fargo Bank, Westerns

On June 14, 1958, Wells Fargo Bank experimented with a new public relations idea. The bank arranged with Alfred D. "Sport" Fellingham to drive a borrowed mudwagon to the opening of Wells Fargo Bank's new office in Hayward, California . Sport Fellingham was a Livermore, California cattleman and director of the Livermore Rodeo . He borrowed the coach from the Rodeo Association, and the event was planned.

On the day of the first appearance, Sport supplied four Belgian horses  with complete harnesses, and two outriders . He delivered the full retinue with his own truck and trailer. The Stagecoach with Sport "up" (driving the team of 4 horses), outriders and two Buicks  paraded from the bank's temporary quarters and made their way to the new building. Aboard the coach with Sport were his eight-year-old son Paul and two bank officers. Dale Robertson , star of the popular TV series Tales of Wells Fargo  rode "shotgun" beside Sport.

The event was a complete success. Sport and the Stagecoach appeared in three more events that year, with more planned each year.

Sport Fellingham passed away in 1965, but the Fellingham family continued at the reins for the Stagecoach program. His wife, Virginia, took center stage, driving the first horse-drawn vehicle across the Golden Gate Bridge  and the stagecoach in President Nixon's 1972 Inaugural Parade . For over forty years, she presented the stagecoach to millions of people.

As more coaches joined the fleet and Wells Fargo's geography expanded, Sport and Virginia's daughter, Patsy, took the reins as well. And in 1975, Paul Fellingham drove his first Wells Fargo stagecoach at an event in Walnut Creek, California  — seventeen years after he rode with his father at that first Stagecoach Appearance Program event in Hayward. Since then, Paul has driven in hundreds of appearances.

As Wells Fargo's Stagecoach Appearance Program celebrates its 50th year in 2008, there are several factors in its long-term success. There is a human factor, a connection with every person who sees the coach and appreciates its symbol and its grace.

But the dearest factor is our long relationship with the Fellingham family, and the skill they deliver each and every time they take the reins.

Posted by Charles at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in Animals, Branding, Hollywood, Misc, Museums, Participate, Perspective, Remember, San Francisco, Stagecoach, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank, Westerns

In Stagecoach days, drivers carried Wells Fargo treasure shipments and passengers across the frontier. It took skill to drive a coach and Wells Fargo added rigorous standards of its own: superior reinsmanship, self-reliance and upstanding character.

(FYI, it still takes driving talent and good character to drive Wells Fargo stagecoaches today.)

In 1855, 11-year old George Monroe came west from Georgia. When Monroe had grown, he came to exemplify the greatness of fact and legend of the best stagecoach drivers. He was described by his employers as "the best all-round reinsman in the West."

Early on, George Monroe exhibited a knack for training and driving horses. At age 22, he took a job driving for the A.H. Washburn and Company stage line into Yosemite . That stage line carried passengers and Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express into Yosemite Valley. Monroe expertly navigated the treacherous cliff-side roads into the Valley and became the best driver around.

One time, the brakes of Monroe's coach failed between Mariposa  and Merced  while full of passengers. Monroe stayed cool, and at an opportune moment drove his team into a clump of brush, bringing the stage to a safe halt. Grateful passengers passed the hat and presented Monroe with $70.

In 1879, the celebrated Monroe was asked to carry a fellow celebrity into Yosemite — Ulysses S. Grant , 18th President of the United States. Grant's schedule took him and Mrs. Grant down the dangerous, 26-mile route into Yosemite Valley, with hairpin turns and fallen rocks and chuckholes. There was a stretch so narrow, the stagecoach's wheels brushed against the granite walls of the cliff. Inches from the other wheels was a thousand-foot gorge.

The crusty General chose to sit next to the driver, a place of honor in those days. An expert horseman in his own right, Grant's assessment of Monroe's skills would make or break his reputation as a stagecoach driver. Monroe did his magic and Grant was duly impressed: "He would throw those six animals from one side to the other," the President marveled, "to avoid a stone or a chuckhole as if they were a single horse."

By 1885, Monroe had driven two more Presidents to Yosemite: James A. Garfield and Rutherford B. Hayes, as well as General William T. Sherman. George Monroe died in 1886 when a stage overturned and mortally injured him. Ironically, Monroe was not the driver, but a passenger — it's a good bet he'd have avoided the accident entirely if he had been "in the box" as driver.

Posted by Charles at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in African American History, Animals, At Work, Branding, Events, Experts, Misc, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

Looking for a topic (ANY topic!) to write about today, I came across a bit about "Pony Bob" Haslam  and his career as Pony Express rider, Wells Fargo messenger, and entertainer.

The adventures of "Pony Bob" Haslam—so named for his fast riding  for the Pony Express—made him the hero of a novel, Pony Bob, the Reckless Rider of the Rockies, a title rarely found today. Haslam rode 120 miles while wounded, in his Pony Express days, and was best known for covering 380 miles in 36 hours.

The Pony Express lasted only eighteen months, but a guy like Haslam is an asset anytime. Wells Fargo had acquired the Pony Express in its final months and kept Haslam on as a rider between Virginia City  and Sacramento. By 1887, Haslam was ready to show his derring-do in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show , which took a grand European tour that year. The Wild West Show performed before the crowned heads and Haslam was part of that show.

Just before he was hired on with Buffalo Bill's tour, Haslam was out West selecting a few bison for Buffalo Bill's show. By that time, American Bison herds had decreased by millions in a short time, and from 2 million to 2 thousand in only ten years. One newspaper lamented: "What a sad criterion on the wantonness and heartlessness of the American hunter!"

So this post ends on a strangely sad note, as history often does. It shows all these ironies or paradoxes (take your pick!) that keep Historians combing the books for answers. Here's a guy, Haslam, whose strength and courage landed him fame. Here's the Pony Express, an enterprise doomed to fail but capturing a special place in American lore. Here's Buffalo Bill, whose Wild West Show pretty much laid out the mythic story of the West that we all recognize, even though it's largely false. All these things wrapped up in a moment's tale of Haslam joining Buffalo Bill's show.

Hey, it's what I do!

Posted by Charles at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Found in Animals, Artifacts, Environment, Hollywood, Misc, Perspective, Pony Express, Remember, Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank, Westerns

Last weekend, Wells Fargo Historians "horsed around" in the San Francisco History Museum, decorating the premises for the Season. Holiday decorations included a stagecoach full of horses—especially Maggies. Maggie is the eighth limited edition Wells Fargo Plush Pony since 2003. Her real life counterpart represented Wells Fargo in San Francisco's Work Horse Parade in 1909. Now, there are Maggies all over, and inside, the stagecoach.

(And check out the "Make Maggie a Happy Pony!" game. There's also Maggie's pdf Activity book, in spanish as well as english.)

In the Days of Old and the Days of Gold, Wells Fargo moved by horsepower: Wells Fargo stagecoaches were pulled by four or six horses."Horses are the pride of Wells Fargo service," the company declared. "Our most faithful employee and friend"—nicely groomed, harnesses oiled, brass fittings polished, and hitched in matched pairs—was Wells Fargo's best advertisement.

Driving the authentic Concord coach in the Museum is Trixie, originally a paint  from Ardmore, Oklahoma , who prefers to get where she is going sooner rather than later. By her side is an equally large Trixie, riding shotgun. She arrived inWells Fargo's stable of Plush Ponies for the 2005 holiday season.

"Wheelers,"  the big muscular horses closest to the coach, are real Princes. The collectible Plush Pony named for Prince, also from Ardmore, appeared in 2006. Our wheelers are a pair of matched grays , 5 and a half feet long and 11 hands high  in horse talk.

This year, the two Princes got hitched. The blushing brides are two agile Maggies, 5 feet long and 10 and a half hands high. Being smart, they are the pair of leader horses. And yes, the hitching is proper. Just like on Wells Fargo's Overland Stagecoaches of the 1860s, the ribbons go where they should, allowing Trixie to turn Prince and Maggie to the left or right as needed.

(If you're wondering if you can purchase these and how much they cost, the answer is—sorry, you can't. They are not available for sale.)

If you are in downtown San Francisco, come by to see an authentic 4-horse hitch. Say "Hi" to Trixie, Prince, and Maggie—and as a memento, take home a little Maggie from the Museum Store!

Posted by Bob at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in Animals, At Work, Christmas, Holidays, Misc, Museums, Pony Express, San Francisco, Stagecoach, Wells Fargo Bank

Check out this blurb from the January, 1915 Wells Fargo Messenger. Priceless.

I wish one and all the best of Days, ever!

Posted by Charles at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Agriculture, Animals, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Holidays, Misc, Participate, Prepare, Remember, Thanksgiving, Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo is running a contest  through December 22 that celebrates the Wells Fargo Wagon. (NOT the Stagecoach, folks — that's different!) Just submit your own music video of the song, "The Wells Fargo Wagon" from The Music Man  and you can win fabulous prizes! ("Johnny, tell 'em what they've won!") To help our Guided By History community understand the background of this contest from a historical perspective — and to encourage the submission of excellent videos! — Portland Curator Steve Greenwood concludes his history of the Wells Fargo Wagon. (CR)

THE HORSES

The horses that pulled the Wells Fargo wagon were cared for in stables like the one illustrated in these original floor plans and elevation drawings. Recently purchased by Wells Fargo at an auction, these drawings by architect Jas. H. Humphreys show the Company's stable and garage plans in Portland, Oregon (c. 1917-1926).

In Portland, "Fargo" was the favored horse who normally pulled the money wagon driven by messenger Edward F. Bontty. The money wagon carried cash transactions to businesses around town. If robbers tried to make off with the money wagon, they would be easily overtaken — loyal "Fargo" did not move for outlaws. Other stories about horses abound in Wells Fargo's Archives and historical collection:

The Educated Horse

"'Mutt,' the educated horse employed in our Englewood, Illinois service has been so well trained by Driver A.B. Corrigan that the animal knows every pickup on his route. In fact, between the hours of 5 and 6 in the afternoon 'Mutt' picks up about thirty houses, and seems to realize just when he can take things easy and when he has to get busy on his job."

Green Onions Galore

And then there is the story of "Paddy Fargo," who was arrested for eating green onions off a vegetable peddler's cart. The September, 1912 Wells Fargo Messenger recounted the details:

"Paddy's arrest for following a peddler's cart and eating therefrom his fill of green onion shoots until the vendor caused his arrest, declaring his day's profits were gone...

"It seems that like other 'good fellows,' Paddy has been led astray by his many friends. Policemen have enticed him with sugar. Saloonkeepers have lured him with pails of beer. He became accustomed to following temptation in spite of weights and brakes. Now comes his theft of onion shoots and his arrest."

"Incidentally, it is said Paddy's stall mate resented his plebian tastes and odorous breath when he returned to the stable."

Posted by Steve at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Animals, At Work, Branding, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, The Music Man, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Wagon

Through December 22, Wells Fargo is running a contest  where you can submit your own music video of the song, "The Wells Fargo Wagon" from The Music Man  and you can win excellent prizes. To help our Guided By History community understand the background of this contest from a historical perspective — and to encourage the submission of excellent videos! — Steve Greenwood in Portland continues the history of the Wells Fargo Wagon. (CR)

Commerce and Industries of the Pacific Coast of North America (1882) is a revealing book that describes the state of carriage and wagon   manufacturing at the end of the 19th century. The author, John S. Hittell , notes that residents of the Pacific Coast "...use an exceptionally large number of wagons and buggies. It is doubtful whether so many are to be found in proportion to the people in any other part of the world."

According to Hittell, the actual number of vehicles produced was few because oak and hickory for light wagons was not available, and so the wood had to be shipped from the East. He also claims that "A great part of the value of a wagon is in the wheels, most of which are made for us beyond the Rocky Mountains." Hittell estimates that the Pacific Coast purchased 7,000 farm wagons annually worth $100 each, but there was not one shop that specialized solely in their production. However, in the production of "spring wagons," which delivery businesses used — including Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express — San Francisco manufacturers produced about 500 spring wagons  annually. They were worth about $200 each.

The author lists eleven wagon companies in San Francisco, including C. A. Hawley & Co., Marcus C. Hawley & Co. and David N. Hawley, whose business inter-relationships are not detailed. Studebaker Brothers  at 31 California Street were a pioneer "Forty-Niner" business along with Levi Strauss and Co.  and Wells Fargo.

The arrival of the railroads sped communication and transportation, and gave Eastern businesses a competitive edge in supplying horse-drawn vehicles in the West. As cities grew , problems related to horse-drawn vehicles such as accidents, traffic jams, and pollution also grew. Businesses delivered more goods more rapidly, and the need arose to ensure that accidents did not result from speeders. In an effort to reduce accidents, cities regulated the speed of horse-drawn vehicles—Chicago 6 mph, Boston 7 mph, and Detroit 6 mph. San Francisco applied a broader regulation that horses had to maintain a speed that was not faster than a person crossing the street.

Excess emissions  could also be a problem, but it was not the carbon monoxide of today — it was manure, a by-product that is put to good use   for the environment, then and now!

Posted by Steve at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Found in Animals, Branding, Environment, Gold, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Railroads, The Music Man, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Wagon

In Wells Fargo's Archives, not every document is "Minutes of the Board of Directors" meeting from 1904. Exciting as that always is, there are many other documents—Gold Rush-era transactions, letters between local agents and the Head Office ... Many documents tell everyday stories of people working for the company.

William Muir in Chicago in the early 1890s gives a story of working for Wells Fargo. He told his family on Sept. 16, 1890:

"I am now with Wells, Fargo & Co. Express. It is a much better job than the last one. On each wagon, there are two men, a driver and conductor. I am driver. I have it pretty easy as I have nothing to do, only drive. The other man does the delivering. I don't need to take care of the team at all. All I do is unhitch them and chase them upstairs (the wagons remained on the ground floor—Bob) and the hostlers  take care of them after. I start at 7 A.M., quit at 6 P.M. out of which I get two hours for dinner."

Six months later, Muir had a different story to tell. Wells Fargo saw aptitude, and responsibility made Muir a better man. Said he on March 31, 1891:

"I have a much better job than driving. I am conductor on a money wagon, delivering money to the banks. It is a very responsible position to hold and also I have to be very careful to whom I give the money. For instance, yesterday I had about 100,000 dollars to deliver."

Muir gave Wells Fargo a good days' work. Wells Fargo gave Muir a greater opportunity as a result. And he delivered.

Posted by Bob at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, Artifacts, At Work, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Perspective, Photographs, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

The history of the American West  is a changing field, which makes sense if you follow the history of the environmental West. That is directly concerned with the changes in landscape from human actions. But the West as history has several interesting dimensions.

First, the West is a place that is hard to accurately plot: Minnesota was way out there in the 1830s. Daniel Boone  made a name for himself leading pioneers West—to Kentucky. St. Jo  was the edge of the earth for most Americans in the 1840s and California was, well, another country entirely, seen only by sailors as a sort of high seas rest stop. California and the Pacific Northwest have their own coastal distinction, and Texas is it's own thing entirely. But all are the West. Count in the Dakotas and the Great Plains, too. And how many of you thought of Nebraska as the West?

Western historians have been arguing for a generation about where the West "begins." One operating consensus is the 100th Meridian , which marks the western reach of moist air. (See also the contentious 98th Meridian .) Westward from there, agriculture relies heavily on irrigation.

After the Civil War, industry in the United States developed rapidly. Corporations, transportation and technologies moved people westward, along with their schemes for getting rich. The West urbanized rather quickly due to the huge migration. The "wide-open spaces" of our national myth is in truth the most urbanized region , and much of the expanse is federally controlled land or possessed by large-scale resource extraction—mining, agriculture, water projects, etc.

The West has experienced the effects of several layers of people and cultures. Effects as real as layers of geography in shaping the region. Humans apparently arrived in the West  between 10,000 and more than 40,000 years ago, following megafauna . These people evolved across the continent; there was a great variety of cultures when Europeans arrived. The West had indigenous empires, French mountain men, British trading outposts, Russian forts, and flourishing Spanish and Mexican colonies. Anglo and African American populations of the United States pressed west from the original colonies. The California Gold Rush  brought the whole dang world to the West. Asian populations crossed the Pacific to the Wild, Wild East.

Many people still imagine the West as a mythic thing, a point in fancy where white men ride tall and silent, women long to serve them, and diverse peoples don't exist unless they're outlaws or corrupt officials. But it ain't so and, frankly, never was. Even Western stories have changed, from simplistic cowboy heroes on the silver screen to the trenchant cowboy fiction of Cormac McCarthy . The West is still in transition because it's a vital, changing place.

Posted by Charles at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Animals, Experts, Hollywood, Latin America, Misc, Movies, Perspective, Remember, Westerns

Old Sacramento  will be bustling with excitement tomorrow. The Pony Express Re-ride  is scheduled to arrive at 11:30 a.m. After a 10-day journey from St. Joseph, Mo. , the final rider will bring mail to the corner of Second and J streets—right across from the Wells Fargo History Museum. The National Pony Express Association  has been putting on the Re-ride for 30 years, and this year marks the 147th anniversary of the Pony Express.

The Pony Express  is the most widely known short-lived piece of Americana. It lasted only 18 months, from April 3, 1860, to Oct. 25, 1861. Established by the Kansas express firm of Russell, Majors, and Waddell , the Pony Express was in its time the fastest way to get mail to California. It was also the most expensive. In 10 days, riding across 1,966 miles, smallish young men (usually in their early teens) would bring 20 pounds of mail from St. Joseph to Sacramento. The cost to send a letter via Pony Express in those days was five dollars per half ounce, which to the average person was a lot of money. (That’s approximately 120 dollars today.) Due to high expenses and the lack of government subsidies, the Pony Express was going broke a year after its creation.

In April 1861, Wells Fargo took control of the Western portion of the Pony Express. Wells Fargo carried letters from Salt Lake City to Sacramento and San Francisco for the last six months of the Pony Express' existence. Wells Fargo helped reduce the cost of postage from the hefty five dollars to just two dollars a half ounce, then reduced the cost even lower, to one dollar, in July 1861. At these prices the Pony Express became more affordable to people and businesses.

Even with the low rates that Wells Fargo offered, the Pony Express would last only a few more months. Technology would put an end to the legend: The telegraph delivered messages faster than anyone on horseback and for a very low cost. On Oct. 25, 1861, Wells Fargo ended its involvement in the Pony Express, marking the end of the 18-month adventure.

Yet the Pony Express lives on in American lore . And for 10 days each year, riders bring letters from St. Joseph to Sacramento, just as they did 147 years ago. All of us here at the Wells Fargo Museum in Old Sacramento are awaiting the Re-ride  and will let everyone know the legacy that Wells Fargo has shared with such a great piece of American history.

Posted by Greg at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, Events, Museums, Participate, Pony Express, Remember, Sacramento, San Francisco, Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo's Public Relations Department circulated these memos regularly in the late 1940s. There are hundreds of them in the archives. The purpose was to encourage employees to practice self-confidence and keep cool under pressure. The ultimate benefits were better relations among co-workers and better customer service.

What's interesting to me, besides the stunning letterhead, is the ordinary use of psychology at this time. So many of these circulars discuss the mental roots of everyday problems and the psychological methods individuals can employ to neutralize bad tendencies and heighten the positive. Remember, this comes from Public Relations, which exists to construct a message that reassures the public. If there's psychology involved, you can bet it's pretty standard.

In the early 20th century, Freudian psychology  was transforming away from taboo and scandal to a normal topic of conversation. But it was pretty subjective; the analysis of dreams and pondering the depths of the mind seemed impractical to many. Behaviorism emerged to explain that human action was based on conditioning. Learned behavior had more practical use than experimental stuff of dreams and repression.

Behaviorism  was especially popular with business studies. Certain stimuli evoke certain responses. B.F. Skinner  and Ivan Pavlov  were the stars, demonstrating that animals (including human beings) could be "trained" to behave in certain ways.

The psychology of these memos is especially grounded in action. If people regiment themselves to be cool as a cucumber, tough situations will lessen. If a person strives to finish each task, without going in several directions, they will become more important as well as more productive, etc. Each of us can change our circumstances as well as any laboratory.

Before the Roaring '20s , psychology was the domain of wickedness and crackpots. After World War I, it came into the open. By the late '40s, it was the subject of office circulars helping ordinary people do better work. Over the next generation, psychology would recast the mold on child rearing  and women's place in society . A complete evolution of the human potential.

All in one little memo.

Posted by Charles at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, Artifacts, B.F. Skinner, Dogs, Experts, Freud, Pavlov, Psychology, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

From the moment the first wolf  left its pack and joined his human family some 15,000 years ago, canines have been a valuable part of the human experience. They have been protectors, workers and loyal companions. Unfortunately, humans have not always been good stewards of that trust. As a member of the Humane Society of the United States , I do my small part in making the world a better place for our animal friends. I'm also honored to share my own life with two intelligent, loyal and loving Boston terriers, Charlie and Eddie. Recently, I came across a bit of news that reminded me of that special bond humans and dogs have and how we humans sometimes get it right.

Readers of this blog know the story of Jack the Dog and Tig. While Jack sat “alert and faithful” atop the Wells Fargo treasure box and Tig was giving his life in the line of duty, two other dogs were making their way into hearts and legend. The first was Bum. Here in San Diego, schoolchildren all know the story of Bum the dog . But soon, everyone in San Diego will know Bum's story. Later this year, the San Diego-Edinburgh Sister City Society  will complete a $54,000 fund-raiser and install a bronze statue of the ol' boy in the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego.

Bum was a St. Bernard and Spaniel mixed-breed dog who arrived in San Diego as a stowaway on board a San Francisco steam ship in 1886. Bum was friendly and soon adopted by the locals. He ate scraps from the best restaurants and even developed a drinking problem (yes, alcohol, for which he had to be treated!) thanks to some locals who thought it was funny to give him sips when he wandered into the saloons. Bum soon ruled the streets from Old Town to New Town, hopping streetcars back and forth. When his territory was challenged by another dog, the two began to fight, ending up on the railroad tracks at the wrong time. Bum lost part of his right leg and part of his tail, but the other dog lost his life. Legend has it that, except once to rescue a puppy, he never went near the tracks again.

Bum became a regular at parades and other civic events of the day, taking top spots with dignitaries and celebrities. And when the city passed a law requiring licenses for all dogs, Bum was granted immunity and his picture placed on the first licenses issued. Bum was and is forever San Diego's “Official” Town Dog, and soon there will be a statue to prove it!

Joining Bum will be the famous Greyfriars Bobby  from Edinburgh, Scotland . Bobby belonged to John Gray, a night watchman. For two years Bobby and John were inseparable. In February 1858, Gray died of tuberculosis and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, the local graveyard. It is told that Bobby spent the rest of his 14 years guarding his master's grave. Locals are said to have built a small shelter next to the grave to protect Bobby from the harsh weather, as Bobby refused to leave, and a local restaurant owner fed him once a day. In 1867, when it was suggested that the unwanted dog should be destroyed, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir William Chambers , who was also a director of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals , paid for a renewal of Bobby's license, making him the responsibility of the City Council.

Now, both dogs will have their day as dual statues will be placed in San Diego and Edinburgh.

Posted by Casey at 09:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, Bum the Dog, Dogs, Jack the Dog, Museums, Perspective, San Diego, Tig the Dog, Wells Fargo Bank